Collapsible luggage bag

ABSTRACT

A collapsible luggage bag which can be reduced in size to approximately one-third its original volume comprises a plurality of hinged panels covered by a soft foldable outer cover. An adjustable bracing means retains the panels in a fully open position but, when released, permits the panels to collapse by means of their hinged connections to a bag approximately onethird its original size. The outer material includes a slide fastener and two pulls adapted to confront each other at a point along the slide fastener. When the bag is collapsed, the two pulls may be moved to a position at which they are adjacent each other to effectively close the collapsed bag without requiring closure of the entire slide fastener.

United States Patent Honig COLLAPSIBLE LUGGAGE BAG Inventor: William Honig, 520 East 77th Street, New

York, NY. 10021 Filed: Feb. 2, 1970 Appl. No.: 7,743

u.s.c1 ..19o/4s, 190 412, 190/49, 190/58 c 1m. c1 ..A45c 7/00 Field of Search ..190/45, 49, 50,44, 43, 46, 190/47, 20,21

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1955 Brauerrnan 190/49 5/1913 Cunningham 190/45 1 Mar. 7, 1972 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Assistant ExaminerStephen Marcus Attorney-Darby & Darby [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible luggage bag which can be reduced in size to approximately one-third its original volume comprises a plurality of hinged panels covered by a soft foldable outer cover. An adjustable bracing means retains the panels in a fully open position but, when released, permits the panels to collapse by means of their hinged connections to a bag approximately one-third its original size. The outer material includes a slide fastener and two pulls adapted to confront each other at a point along the slide fastener. When the bag is collapsed, the two pulls may be moved to a position at which they are adjacent each other to effectively close the collapsed bag without requiring closure of the entire slide fastener.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures FATENTEUMAR 7:972 3,647,035

SHEET 1 [1F 3 INVENTOR. WILLIAM HON [G Y M? w? ATTORNEYS (D WILLIAM HONIG PAIENTEUMAR men 3,647,035

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LL BY ATTORNEYS PATENTEDHAR H972 3,647,035

sumsora v INVENTOR. WILLIAM HQNIG ATTORNEYS v COLLAPSIBLE LUGGAGE BAG The present invention relates to a collapsible bag of the type which is used for ordinary traveling and business purposes.

According to the present invention, a collapsible luggage bag is provided which, when fully extended, is approximately the same size as a conventional suitcase, but which, when collapsed, is approximately the size of an attache case or overnight bag. Thus, a luggage bag according to the invention can be used for a great variety of different purposes serving, if necessary, as a full-size suitcase or as a small overnight bag which can be readily and conveniently carried on board a plane, train, or other conveyance. As should be obvious, the advantage of such a bag is that it is of minimum size for a given amount of luggage, thus rendering it more convenient and practical than ordinary suitcases, attache cases or the like.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention a collapsible luggage bag includes a collapsible frame covered by a foldable material which includes an extended flap adapted to be opened and closed by means of a slide fastener having two opposing pulls. When the frame construction is collapsed, the material maybe folded about the collapsed frame in such a way that the two pulls can be moved to a position at which they can be locked, and where, although the slide fastener is only partially closed, the collapsed bag is effectively locked.

The invention is described in further detail below with reference to the attached drawings wherein,

FIG. 1 is a front view of the extended bag according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the extended bag;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of the extended bag;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the bag in a partially collapsed form;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the bag in its fully collapsed form but in an open condition; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of the bag in its fully extended position in its closed condition.

According to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the drawings, the bag includes a frame which consists of a U- shaped bottom panel 10 (FIG. 3), opposing left and right central panels 12 and 14, respectively, and complementary L- shaped left and right top panels 16 and 18, respectively. Left central panel 12 is connected to the bottom of panel 16 by a pair of hinges 20 and to the left upper end of the bottom panel 10 by two hinges 22. Similarly, right central panel 14 is connected to the bottom of right top panel 18 by a pair of hinges 24 and to the right upper end of bottom panel 10 by hinges 26. The other extremities of the left and right top panels 16 and 18 are joined together by a pair of hinges 30.

The illustrated panels l0, 12, 14, 16 and 18 may be made of any suitable sufficiently stiff material such as plastic or cardboard which will retain the shape illustrated and which will not collapse under the load normally carried by the bag.

A bracing means is provided to hold the panels in both the extended and collapsed positions. This bracing means includes an elongated bottom brace 31 which may be secured to brackets 32 and 34 extending inwardly from opposing surfaces of the upstanding arms of the bottom panel 10. A top brace consists of left and right elongated arms 36 and 38. Arm 36 is pivotally secured to a bracket 40 connected to the lowermost extremity of left top panel 16. In the same way, the right arm 38 is pivotally secured to a bracket 42 extending inwardly from the lowermost extremity of the right top panel 18. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the right arm 38 may overlie the left arm 36, in which case a pin 44 extends upwardly from the left arm 36 through a suitable aperture (not numbered) in the right arm 38 to retain the two parts at this point.

A stop ledge 46 may be secured to the left arm 36 and extend outwardly beyond the right arm 38 to prevent the left and right arms from rotating downwardly. The bracing means also includes left and right diagonal struts 72 and 74, the lower ends of which are pinned respectively to brackets 32 and 34, the upper ends being contiguous and including apertures (not numbered) to receive the pin 44 whereby the entire brace may be secured by means ofa common wing nut 76. A wire clip 78 is secured to the central portion of the bottom brace 31 to retain diagonal struts 72 and 74 when the frame is collapsed as explained below.

The frame is covered by a foldable cover which is shaped to conform to the expanded frame illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This cover may comprise any suitable material conforming to the desired shape. The front of the cover (FIG. I) is divided into two portions including a flap 82 and a rim 84 which are separated by a U-shaped elongated slide fastener 86, for example, of the type commonly referred to as a zipper. The slide fastener 86 includes two separate pulls 88 and 90 adapted to operate from opposite ends of the fastener and capable of meeting at any place along the slide fastener between its extremities. When the pulls 88 and 90 are drawn together, the slide fastener 86 is closed, and when the pulls 88 and 90 are drawn apart, that portion of slide fastener 86 between the pulls 88 and 90 is opened. If desired, a suitable lock 92 may be used to secure the pulls 88 and 90 together in an obvious fashion.

The bag may further include suitable handles 94 and 96 on short and long sides thereof. Handle 96 (and handle 94 if desired) may be of the type which slide within retaining brackets 97 and 98 so that the grasping portion 96 can be made flush with the adjacent side of the bag, in this case the right side panel 12.

If it is desired to collapse the bag from the extended position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the pulls 88 and 90 are drawn to their extreme positions to open the slide fastener 86. The wing nut 76 is then removed and the struts 72 and 74 lifted from pin 44 and pivoted downwardly to overlie the bottom brace 30. The struts may be held in this position by means of the clip 78 as shown in FIG. 4. Slight inward pressure applied to the hinges 20 and 24, as indicated by arrows I00 and 102, will cause the hinges 20, 22, 24, 26 and 30 to break as illustrated in FIG. 4. Simultaneously, of course, the left and right arms 36 and 38 of the top brace pivot upwardly about their respective brackets 40 and 42.

The upper collapsed portion of the bag may then be moved or pushed downwardly into the bottom portion of the bag defined by the bottom panel 10 as illustrated in dash lines in FIG. 5. In this position, the top brace consisting of anns 36 and 38 is actually below the bottom brace 31 and these arms can once again be extended so that they are colinear. The arms can be retained in this position by means of the wing nut 76 to form a solid bracing means for the bag in this closed position.

To close the bag, it is only necessary to draw the pulls 88 and 90 to the position illustrated in FIG. 6 and then tuck in the excess cover to form a fold as illustrated in dashed lines at 104 in FIG. 6. If the pulls 88 and 90 are then locked together in this position, by means of lock 92 for example, the collapsed form of the bag is effectively closed even though the entire length of the slide fastener 86 has not been closed. This is a particularly simple and convenient way of closing the collapsed bag, which would otherwise be difficult if it were neces sary to close the full length of the slide fastener 86. After the excess material has been tucked in to form the fold I04, the folds may serve as front and back pockets in which to carry small items. If desired, of course, the pulls 88 and 90 can be drawn to a position within the fold 104 where they are not visible from the exterior of the bag. Also, it is not necessary to employ a separate lock as a fastener means for the pulls 88 and 90. Instead, if desired, the lock or any similar fastener may be made integral with one (or both) of the pulls 88 and 90 to retain the two pulls in any desired closed position.

Numerous modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. For example, the double hinges may be replaced by a single piano hinge all the way or partially across the width of any individual panel. It is possible for the'cover itself to serve as the equivalent of a hinge, or the panels may be made of a single piece of material capable of bending at the hinge locations. Various modifications of the bracing means are also contemplated. The diagonal struts 72 and 74 may be captivated" to each other in a standard way to facilitate operation. To facilitate folding and collapsing of the bag, a stiffening material may be placed in the top and bottom thirds of the covering. Where a different collapsible mechanism is used, it is possible that all panels of the bag, except for the front panel containing the slide fastener, may be made of relatively rigid material. Various other modificatons of the invention will also be obvious to those skilled in the art.

It should also be apparent that the specific nature of the slide fastener is not material to the present invention, and any of the various commercially available forms of such fasteners can be used according to the invention.

Reference in this specification and the following claims to top, bottom, side, front and rear portions and/or panels is not intended to be limiting in any respects but is simply meant to establish a frame of reference for the respective parts of the invention. Obviously, it is not all material whether the slide fastener is in the front or rear of the bag or whether the top is being considered as collapsible into the bottom portion or vice versa. These terms have been chosen merely for purposes of convenience in describing and claiming the invention and are used arbitrarily in associaton with the luggage bag as it is actually illustrated in these drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible bag comprising top, bottom and central portions, said top and central portions being movable into said bottom portion to provide storage space of reduced size, a covering at least partially covering said portions, said covering including a front panel made of a flexible, clothlike material; said front panel adapted to overlie each of said portions when said bag is in a fully extended condition, and a slide fastener in said front panel and extending across all three of said portions, said slide fastener cooperating with oppositely disposed pulls, each of which is adapted to open or close said slide fastener, the portion of said slide fastener between said pulls being open to permit access to the interior of the bag when the pills are sufficiently far apart, and the portions ofsaid slide fastener between each of said pulls and the nearest end of the slide fastener being closed, said covering folding inwardly to form a pocket enveloping said top portion when the bag is in its collapsed condition, said pulls being movable on said slide fastener to a position adjacent the edge of said pocket where they can be secured to hold the bag in said collapsed condition.

2. A collapsible bag according to claim 1, wherein said front panel overlies substantially all of each of said top, bottom and side portions.

3. A collapsible bag according to claim 1, including bracing means for supporting said bag in both the collapsed and extended conditions.

4. A collapsible bag according to claim 3, including means for pivotally connecting said top portions to said central portions and means for pivotally connecting said central portion to said bottom portion,

5. A collapsible bag according to claim 4, wherein said bracing means includes a bottom brace connected between the opposing sides of said bottom portion, a collapsible top brace connected to opposite sides of said top portion and at least one pivotally mounted supporting strut for securing said top and bottom braces in spaced-apart relation when said bag is an an extended condition, said supporting strut being pivotable out of engagement with at least one of said top and bottom braces when said bag is in a collapsed condition.

6. A collapsible bag according to claim 5, wherein said bottom portion includes a U-shaped panel and said top portion includes two L-shaped panels joined together to form an inverted U" and means pivotally connecting said L-shaped panels together.

7. A collapsible bag according to claim 6, wherein said brac ing means includes two diagonal struts pivotally connected to opposite ends of said bottom brace at one end, the other ends being detachably conne eted to said top brace. 

1. A collapsible bag comprising top, bottom and central portions, said top and central portions being movable into said bottom portion to provide storage space of reduced size, a covering at least partially covering said portions, said covering including a front panel made of a flexible, clothlike material; said front panel adapted to overlie each of said portions when said bag is in a fully extended condition, and a slide fastener in said front panel and extending across all three of said portions, said slide fastener cooperating with oppositely disposed pulls, each of which is adapted to open or close said slide fastener, the portion of said slide fastener between said pulls being open to permit access to the interior of the bag when the pills are sufficiently far apart, and the portions of said slide fastener between each of said pulls and the neArest end of the slide fastener being closed, said covering folding inwardly to form a pocket enveloping said top portion when the bag is in its collapsed condition, said pulls being movable on said slide fastener to a position adjacent the edge of said pocket where they can be secured to hold the bag in said collapsed condition.
 2. A collapsible bag according to claim 1, wherein said front panel overlies substantially all of each of said top, bottom and side portions.
 3. A collapsible bag according to claim 1, including bracing means for supporting said bag in both the collapsed and extended conditions.
 4. A collapsible bag according to claim 3, including means for pivotally connecting said top portions to said central portions and means for pivotally connecting said central portion to said bottom portion.
 5. A collapsible bag according to claim 4, wherein said bracing means includes a bottom brace connected between the opposing sides of said bottom portion, a collapsible top brace connected to opposite sides of said top portion and at least one pivotally mounted supporting strut for securing said top and bottom braces in spaced-apart relation when said bag is an an extended condition, said supporting strut being pivotable out of engagement with at least one of said top and bottom braces when said bag is in a collapsed condition.
 6. A collapsible bag according to claim 5, wherein said bottom portion includes a U-shaped panel and said top portion includes two L-shaped panels joined together to form an inverted ''''U'''' and means pivotally connecting said L-shaped panels together.
 7. A collapsible bag according to claim 6, wherein said bracing means includes two diagonal struts pivotally connected to opposite ends of said bottom brace at one end, the other ends being detachably connected to said top brace. 